EFCC TAKES MAIDUGURI BUSINESSMAN TO COURT OVER ALLEGED KEKE NAPEP SCAM

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a Maiduguri-based businessman, Bilal Muhammad, before the Borno State High Court over an alleged N600,000 fraud involving the sale of a tricycle, popularly known as Keke Napep. Muhammad was brought before Justice B.T. Zanna on a two-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and obtaining money by false pretence, according to the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC alleged that Muhammad, who was identified as the Chief Executive Officer of GDF Homes Sale Enterprises Limited, collected N600,000 from a petitioner after presenting himself as someone capable of supplying a Keke Napep. The commission claimed that despite receiving the money, the defendant neither delivered the tricycle to the customer nor refunded the amount paid. The alleged transaction reportedly took place in Maiduguri in 2025.

One of the charges filed against the businessman accused him of obtaining the money under the guise of selling a tricycle. The EFCC said the alleged conduct violated provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The prosecution is expected to rely on evidence surrounding the payment and the alleged failure to fulfil the transaction as the case progresses before the court.

The arraignment places the alleged transaction before the judiciary for determination, meaning the allegations against Muhammad have not been established as fact. The defendant will have the opportunity to respond to the charges and challenge the prosecution's case through the judicial process. The EFCC, meanwhile, continues to pursue financial fraud cases as part of its efforts to investigate alleged fraudulent transactions across the country.

The case also highlights the risks associated with informal commercial transactions, particularly where substantial payments are made for goods or services without adequate verification or documentation. Further proceedings will determine the outcome of the allegations against Muhammad and whether the prosecution can establish the offences beyond the required legal threshold.